1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to dental irrigation devices and methods of irrigating dental tissue, and more particularly, to devices and methods for providing a continuous and controlled flow of a dental irrigation fluid for patient treatment.
2. Description of Related Art
The most common apparatuses for dental irrigation are conventionally employed irrigation triple syringes which require a dentist and a dental assistant to pass back and forth new and exhausted triple syringes. More complex systems have been developed for providing an irrigant for dental treatment including U.S. Pat No. 5,055,043 to Weiss et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,198 to Castellini.
Weiss et al. teaches a permanent and complex system of fluid lines and valves interconnected with external sources of compressed air, oxygen, treatment solution, and water for the transferring, mixing, and dispensing of medicaments. Similarly, Castellini teaches the directing of air and water to a plurality of permanently connected instruments. The system further including a reservoir containing a supply of a medical solution and a fluid line connecting the reservoir to a water supply circuit. The Castellini apparatus further teaches a three-way directional control valve for the variable control of the independent sources of water and medical solution.
The present dental irrigation apparatuses such as Weiss et al. and Castellini are complex systems that are cumbersome, complex to use, and require permanent installations.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved and simplified device for dental irrigation that can provide an instantaneous flow of an irrigant in conjunction with conventional flow control devices that may be readily adapted for use with a dental unit, requiring only a minimal amount of external support. In addition, a further need exists for a dental irrigation device configured at least partially as a disposable device that may be used in a single application or for a controlled period of time.
A dental irrigation device including an irrigation system and means for pressurization. The irrigation system includes a reservoir and an attachment mechanism adapted for positioning the reservoir on a bar of a dental unit. The reservoir is also configured with connecting means for providing an irrigant under pressure through a flexible tube to a handpiece adapted for use with dental tools by a surgeon. The reservoir of irrigant may be pressurized through connecting means by an external source of compressed air, for example, or by a pump in direct communication with the irrigant.
A method is provided for the treating a patient with the dental irrigation device including attaching the reservoir to the dental unit using an attachment mechanism and using connecting means to connecting the reservoir to a handpiece adapted for use with dental tools. Pressurizing the irrigant using pressurization means to deliver the irrigant under pressure to the dental tools.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are presented to provide further information on the invention as claimed.